Confronting the Inevitable IV

Sermon for the fourth Sunday in Advent

God holds on.

For those of us

who are looking 

forward to the possibility 

of seeing God

this fact should give us

the greatest joy

as we walk on this

rather damaged planet.

What we have

witnessed in these days

of the Four Last Things

is that all things 

are rooted in the

very being of God Himself. 

[PAUSE]

We have seen

how the death that God offers us

is bound up

with His Eternal life

and the extermination of evil.

We have seen how

His judgement of us

is rooted in our desire

to become like Him

and free us from 

the prison of Sin.

We have seen how

the love of God holds on

even to those who reject Him

so that there might

still be some happiness 

even for those who hate Him

and ignore Him,

and live out their Eternity

without ever knowing Him

or those people 

who love Him.

It stands to reason that,

whatever Heaven is like,

it is bound up in the perfect being

of God Himself

made visible to us.

We are shown

the New Heaven

and the New Earth 

coming down from God

adorned as a bride for her bridegroom.

What are these like?

Clearly we will recognise them.

Heaven itself may not

be much different 

from the way we live now:

we shall rise with our bodies,

though they will be transformed 

like Christ's glorious body.

But there will be no more pain

nor sorrow 

for the former things 

will have passed away.

But what remains

we shall recognise 

but see more clearly

as the dark glass is removed

and the veil lifted.

But we will recognise Christ.

If we have spent our lives

trying to know Him

trying to turn to Him

away from the deceits

of this world,

then we shall know Him

for this is what the Christian life is.

We are put on the path to Christ

at Baptism 

and we learn to grow in faith

through works of love

because the more we truly love

the more truly will we know God.

And the more we love

the more we become like Him.

This is all very basic Christianity.

It's a message that you hear

again and again.

As we approach Christmas 

for the umpteenth time

and see the baby in the manger

and the Virgin Mother

and the noble protector 

of Mother and Child

who dedicates himself to chastity

even as does the Mother,

as we see them there

we see ourselves

gazing at the reality of God

born with us,

born among us,

born in us.

We see Him 

growing in us

for our salvation,

the restoration of out health

the healing of 

our bodies,

our souls, 

our lives,

our pasts,

our weakness,

our shame,

our sadness.

[PAUSE]

Do not for one moment 

think that we will know

what Heaven will be like.

Whatever awaits us 

will be beyond our comprehension.

But joy is guaranteed:

it is a wedding feast after all

and no-one can mourn

when the Bridegroom 

is with them. 

Until the day

we find ourselves

at that feast

whole, complete 

and happy

all we can do is pray 

with the children:

"be near me, Lord Jesus,

I ask Thee to stay

close by me forever 

and love me, I pray.

Bless all Thy dear children

in Thy tender care

and fit us for Heaven 

to live with Thee there."